On a Saturday where results were difficult to come by across Hoddesdon Cricket Club’s four senior sides, it felt more important than ever to find the positives, celebrate the performances that stood out, and recognise those who gave everything in green and white.

This week, that recognition belongs to Paul Webb.

The experienced Third XI all-rounder was named the latest winner of the Greene King Level Head Green Jacket after a fine individual performance away at Preston CC, Herts, where he contributed strongly with both bat and ball in a losing effort for Louis Webb’s side. Webby took excellent figures of 4-30 with the ball before adding 31 from 31 deliveries with the bat, including six boundaries, as Hoddesdon battled hard but ultimately fell 42 runs short at Whitwell Recreation Ground.

Paul Webb

While the full match report will follow separately, this weekly award is about individual excellence and club contribution. On a tough weekend when all four senior teams were beaten, Webb’s display gave the club something to applaud and offered another reminder of his enduring value to Hoddesdon Cricket Club.

Batting first, Preston posted 232-6 from their 40 overs, setting the Third XI a challenging but not impossible target. Much of the reason that target did not become even more daunting was Webb’s spell with the ball, as he once again showed all the nous, control and competitiveness that have made him such a dependable figure across many seasons. Figures of 4-30 represented the standout bowling contribution for Hoddesdon on the day. With the scorecard still awaiting full bowling detail, the headline number alone says plenty, because four wickets in a 40-over contest is always a major contribution.

Despite Defeat, Paul Impressed

Webby’s spell helped keep Hoddesdon in the game, preventing Preston from disappearing beyond reach and giving the Third XI a route back into the contest. It was exactly the sort of senior performance captains love, especially in a side that continues to blend youth, developing players and experienced club figures.

Then came his contribution with the bat.

Opening the innings, Webb made a positive 31 from 31 balls, striking six fours and scoring at exactly a run a ball. In a chase of 233, that sort of start mattered, giving Hoddesdon early momentum and showing intent from the top of the order. His innings ended with the score on 53, but by then he had helped lay a platform and shown the sort of approach required. Hoddesdon’s chase would later see useful contributions from Ross Maughan, Nikunj Pradhan, Mark Feely and Louis Webb, but wickets fell regularly enough to stop the visitors building the partnership that might have taken them home. The Third XI were eventually dismissed for 190 in 38.5 overs, but Webb’s performance stood out across both innings.

Paul Opened The Innings And Set The Standard

It was also a reminder of his long-standing service with the bat for the club.

Webb has now played 85 games for Hoddesdon, scoring 1,438 runs across 79 innings at an average of 19.43. He has made five half-centuries for the club, with a highest score of 63, and has struck 165 fours and seven sixes along the way.

This season alone, he has made 226 runs from 17 innings, including one half-century, and remains one of those players who offers value whether he is making runs, bowling important overs, helping set fields, supporting younger players or simply bringing calm experience to the group.

His top innings list is also a reminder that Webby has been producing useful knocks for some time. Scores of 63 against Datchworth in 2025, 61 not out against Broxbourne in 2024, 61 against Matching Green in the same year, 50 not out in a Hoddesdon intra-club fixture, and 50 against Hatfield and Crusaders earlier this season all sit proudly among his best efforts. Saturday’s 31 may not have been one of his biggest scores, but paired with 4-30 it became one of the most rounded performances of the weekend.

The Paul Webb Highlight Reel

For captain Louis Webb, there was added pride in seeing his father take the Green Jacket.

“Dad was brilliant for us,” said Louis.

“He bowled really well and gave us exactly what we needed. Four wickets for 30 is a cracking return, and it kept us in the game when Preston could have pushed well beyond us. With the bat, he came out positively and struck the ball nicely. Six fours in 31 balls shows he was looking to put pressure back on them, and that helped give us a bit of belief in the chase.”

Louis also reflected on the family element of the award, with his youngest brother Barney presenting Paul with the Green Jacket back at Lowfield after keeping wicket for the Third XI during the game.

“It was a lovely moment,” Louis added.

“Barney had kept wicket for us, I was captaining the side, and then Dad wins the Green Jacket. You don’t get many days like that in club cricket, and even though we lost the game, it was still a proud moment for the family and for the team. Dad has done a lot for Hoddesdon over the years and he still gives everything whenever he plays. He deserved that recognition.”

It Was Another Proud Day For The Webb Family

Paul Webb himself was typically modest after receiving the award from Barney in the clubhouse.

“It’s always nice to win something like this, especially when there are plenty of good performances around the club,” said Webb.

“Obviously I would much rather we had won the game, but personally it was nice to contribute with bat and ball and try to keep us in it. It was a special moment having Barney present it to me, and with Louis captaining the side as well, that made it a bit different. Cricket gives you those little family moments sometimes, and I’ll definitely remember this one.”

Barney Webb Did The Honours Back At Lowfield

Webb was certainly pushed hard for the award.

James Mitchell scored an excellent 57 for the First XI, while Louis Webb himself made 26 for the Third XI and continued to lead his side with energy and responsibility. With the ball, Himesh Ramanayake was again firmly in the conversation after taking four wickets in the First XI defeat to Sawbridgeworth, while returning club stalwart Martin Brown also impressed with 3-64.

On another weekend, any of those performances could easily have been enough.

This time, however, the Green Jacket panel looked towards a complete all-round contribution from a player who influenced both halves of the game. Webb’s 4-30 and 31 from 31 balls gave him a powerful claim, and the clubhouse reaction suggested few would argue with the decision.

The award comes at a time when the club needed a lift after a difficult Saturday of results. All four senior teams were beaten, which is never easy to take, but club cricket seasons are long, unpredictable and rarely straightforward. The Green Jacket award provides an important weekly reminder that even on tough days, there are performances worth celebrating and people worth recognising. That is particularly true in sides like the Third XI, where development, opportunity and enjoyment all sit alongside the desire to win. Paul Webb’s performance at Preston ticked every box. He competed hard, contributed significantly, set an example and gave his team every chance of staying in the contest.

Greene King Level Head

Hoddesdon Cricket Club would like to congratulate Paul on a fully deserved Greene King 'Level Head' Green Jacket award and thank him once again for his continued contribution to the club both on and off the field.

The club would also like to thank Greene King Brewery for their continued sponsorship of the weekly Green Jacket award through their excellent Level Head IPA. The award remains one of the best traditions at Lowfield, shining a spotlight on outstanding performances from across the senior sides every weekend.

This week, that spotlight falls on Webby.